The Proposed International Flag of Planet Earth

Should astronauts use their countries flags when going on space expeditions? Or do astronauts represent planet earth in outer space?

Current expeditions in outer space use different national flags depending on which country is funding the voyage. The space travelers, however, are more than just representatives of their own countries.

They are representatives of planet Earth.

Every country has its own unique flag, but what about a flag for the planet earth?

Considering the fact that humans will colonize Mars by 2025, Maybe space exploration could be the ultimate idea that transcends national interests.

A Swedish artist Oskar Pernefeldt has designed a concept idea for the International Flag of Planet Earth as a graduation project at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm, Sweden, and to remind Humans that we share this planet and national boundaries don’t matter.

Purpose Of The Earth Flag

To be used while representing planet Earth.

To remind the people of Earth that we share this planet, no matter of national boundaries. That we should take care of each other and the planet we live on.

Originally, Pernefeldt imagined the seven rings representing Earth’s seven continents. But he says he’s shunned that representation because he wants the flag to last for thousands of years. And, just like Pluto is no longer a planet, we might eventually decide that Europe and Asia aren’t actually separate continents. And there’s always the possibility that climate change or geoengineering could radically remake the surface of the planet so that we have many more continents.

“I have wondered for a long time why Earth doesn’t have a flag,”

“We have a long tradition of signaling where we come from on ships at sea. But now we sail in different waters—that is, in space. Therefore it would be relevant for us to signal from what planet we come from.”

Oskar Pernefeldt

The project is formulated as an official proposal, though Pernefeldt acknowledges that there isn’t exactly a singular “client” he can propose the design to. The United Nations might be the closest thing, but there isn’t exactly a process in place for that. Not to mention the UN already has its own flag, though Pernefeldt doesn’t believe it fills the role of a planetary flag.

But maybe we are preparing the flag of Earth too early to meet extraterrestrial life in space, or are we?